Thursday, October 20, 2011

Prosecution report swept under parliamentary carpet

Of course we have a modern parliamentary democracy. Of course we aren't a colonial entity...it just looks like it.Those self-important, pompous dicks with their jobs for life. Don't they look like awful people? Biddies. And whatever the male version is. And the grumpiest one - the clerk - looking to camera is hopeless. Her butchery of the Maori language when she announces things in the House is like finger nails scraping down a blackboard. Will she ever be reprimanded or lose her job because of that - never. If she pronounced the English language as badly as she does Te Reo she would never have even been hired, but that's what a our olde worlde England, colonial, white man's parliament looks and sounds like. God save the ruddy Queen!

A raft of new bills have been introduced in the last few weeks - after the House has stopped sitting, but before parliament is officially dissolved. They all wait for the next session after the election. I'm not sure whether it will be possible to sit before Christmas either - maybe. Coalition talks - especially if Winston First gets back in - may still be going. It will be a tight schedule to form the next government.

There are also reports and things being released too - even though they cannot be tabled or debated in parliament as they normally would be. One of those is a review into the prosecution service. It gives themselves - and their bizarre olde worlde system of secret jobs for the boys appointments of private law firms as Crown prosecutors - a big tick. It gives everything they do a big tick by the Attorney-General's account. No problems at all, apparently and no need to change anything. Is anyone else suspicious of this?

One of the more obvious issues to me is the lack of the ability to prosecute the NZ Police for their misconduct. If the police hierarchy backs the conduct - like murder for example - there isn't a way of the Crown dealing with it effectively: a private prosecution being the unsatisfactory method of the victims trying to get justice. This is a big gap. And this problem goes for other agencies of the Crown too - they are unwilling to prosecute crimes they commit themselves. One way to deal with this would be a special prosecutions unit within perhaps the Justice Ministry that could be mandated to investigate and also prosecute certain crimes committed by government officials like the police.

Mr Spencer found that the New Zealand has a high quality, independent, criminal prosecution service. Generally, the performance of Crown Solicitors is very high although there is potential to deliver the service at lower cost. Mr Spencer also considers that the Police Prosecution Service is both highly efficient and has capable prosecutors. For departmental prosecutors he reported variable performance with potential for efficiency gains for some agencies.

Given the generally high quality and efficiency within the prosecution system, Mr Spencer considers that the status quo should largely prevail.

Nothing to see here, move along - move along I say.

Yeah, well given the cops were at his side during the process what else should we expect from such a review? A review focused on "a more cost-effective and sustainable manner" - accountancy rather than stuff like justice. What of the pointlessness of prosecuting victimless crimes? What about the way the police go about charging people who have already suffered? Oh no, the police are always right and the police will tell you as such and therefore they are right - that cop logic doesn't seem to be challenged in this report going by the summary.

Mr Spencer has chaired numerous companies, including Tainui Group Holdings in 2003, Telfer Young, and AsureQuality. He has been involved in the Institute of Chartered Accountants, including as executive director from 1997 to 2002.

An accountant. A bean counter telling the government what it wants to hear about the justice system. No wonder.

Nah, Police Association spokesman Greg O'Connor periodically informs the nation as to what is appropriate police conduct. He also tells the nation the outcome of inquiries into any police officer's conduct - usually before the inquiry even starts.Sleepy hobbits seem to buy what he says.

Nah, Police Association spokesman Greg O'Connor periodically informs the nation as to what is 'appropriate' police conduct. He also tells the nation the outcome of inquiries into any police officer's conduct - usually before the inquiry even starts.Sleepy hobbits seem to buy what he says.